GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Brenbo on 05 December 2015, 09:13
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I have pondered for while now whether wheels like Pretorias on the Golf R and similar style wheels on GTI Clubsport without the black inner barrel will show brake dust specs overtime and look more worn than wheels like the Austin or Cadiz?
The reason i ask this is I used to have a Type-R with white wheels and in no time at all it showed signs of brake dust specs inside the barrel and nooks and crannies on the rim which I could not get in to clean or coat? Does anyone have long term experience or advice on how to prevent brake dust collecting on the inside of wheels like Pretoria's without a black barrel.
I currently coat my wheels with GTechniq C5 Wheel Armour. I have Austin wheels and find the Black inside barrel does help to hide brake dust. But my next car may have wheels similar in style to the Pretorias and wanted to be prepared and ready to prevent too many brake dust specs happening from day one ownership when I take the plunge and get a new car next year.
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The same amount of brake dust will gather regardless of the finish of the wheel so it'll still be there.
My suggestion is to continue what ya doing and invest in some fallout remover too.
Take a look at our wheel mitt as that's been designed to get behind the spokes without trashing your hands.
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Many thanks for your reply. I understand the same amount brake dust collects regardless. I guess it's just a case of whether the wheel colour is able to hide or if there is anything I can do to help make it easier to clean off the brake dust before it all embeds itself in to the wheel forever. There will always be a degree of dust speckling but I just want to limit it as much as possible and keep the wheels looking good.
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I have found dark silver to be the best colour to mask dirt - regardless of it being a wheel or the main colour of the car.
I have the black inners on my GTi Austin wheels and think they show more dirt/brake dust than my old MK5 Monza's that had a dark grey inner.
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My prets are a massive pain in the ass to keep clean! Look great once clean but brake dust is a big issue for them
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As Remlapeel states, this is exactly what I feared. I found many hours of laborious cleaning on my Type-R wheels did not show much progress when trying to remove the brake dust. I find the black barrels on my 'Austins' do not show the brake dust as much as other wheel colours I have had in the past.
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Just have plenty of Iron X in stock. That stuff does wonders for lifting the baked on dust. Alternatively don't drive it.
Your Austins are getting it just as bad, you just can't see it. I used to find that the diamond cut shiney finish looked really terrible when dirty whereas the prets carry the dirty look much better.
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My prets are a massive pain in the ass to keep clean! Look great once clean but brake dust is a big issue for them
Totally agree with this.
As said the same amount of brake dust gathers but boy, does it and the dirt, show on Prets. By comparison my old Glendales were brilliant at disguising both. IMO Prets are a pita for showing dirt.
You can't avoid brake dust gathering. It will gather regardless of whatever coatings/sealant you put on. Keep it at bay by using Iron X a couple times and regular wheel cleaning will help. Valet Pro Bilberry wheel cleaner is particularly good for keeping wheels looking good in between the de-iron phases.
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Is it a good idea to use a detailing brush on wheels or are they considered to be too harsh?
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Is it a good idea to use a detailing brush on wheels or are they considered to be too harsh?
Depends on the brush, there are some ones to avoid - too scratchy.
However a good wheel brush works wonders. These are my staples - pricy but worth every penny. Very soft heads which won't scratch your wheels. The big and medium ones for wheels, long handles let you reach right to the inner side of the wheel. Medium one great for exhaust tips and lower trim areas, fogs (GTI) etc. The small one great for grills, especially honeycomb grill of the GTI, badges etc. So useful for more than just wheels. Good price atm on cleayourcar, as on sale.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/wheel-woolies-wheel-brush-kit/prod_1037.html
For a cheaper option, this is good, but I find the Wheel Woolies more versatile.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/ez-detail-brush/prod_480.html
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The only two options to prevent it are either don't use the brakes or carbon ceramics. Both of which aren't really feasible.
Iron X is the a good way of getting rid of the embedded dust, along with a tar remover and clay.
You have got the best wheel protection on, I have that and it only needs soapy water to clean it up. The brushes Booth has linked to are the Daddy, not cheap but last for years and years.
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Is it a good idea to use a detailing brush on wheels or are they considered to be too harsh?
Depends on the brush, there are some ones to avoid - too scratchy.
However a good wheel brush works wonders. These are my staples - pricy but worth every penny. Very soft heads which won't scratch your wheels. The big and medium ones for wheels, long handles let you reach right to the inner side of the wheel. Medium one great for exhaust tips and lower trim areas, fogs (GTI) etc. The small one great for grills, especially honeycomb grill of the GTI, badges etc. So useful for more than just wheels. Good price atm on cleayourcar, as on sale.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/wheel-woolies-wheel-brush-kit/prod_1037.html
For a cheaper option, this is good, but I find the Wheel Woolies more versatile.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/ez-detail-brush/prod_480.html
Thanks for the link, they look great.
Will they fit in a xmas stocking :laugh:
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Thanks for the link, they look great.
Will they fit in a xmas stocking :laugh:
They will fit perfectly in an Xmas stocking. :wink:
In fact there's an angled one you can get separately, which was made for a stocking :grin:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5822/23518448906_94fdaee5b2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BQfcuo)
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What I have found is that on wheels like Austins with gloss painted inserts the brake dust is more visible no matter the color. The gloss turns into matt once covered in brake dust and can easily be noticed. On my Megane I have a set of OZ's which are same as the GTI austins (diamond cut with black inserts) but the black is matt finish not glossy and it hides the brake dust easier. To reduce the pain of cleaning the wheels and avoid the brake dust sticking to the wheels and form those nasty bulges I coat my alloys once a year with a thick layer of Gtecnik C5 and use Autofinesse Iron Out once every 2-3 months. Otherwise just snow foam and pressure wash every 1-2 weekends.
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I'm running mid/darkish grey wheels at the moment and they hide the filth quite well.
The Matt black (with polished face) aftermarket wheels I had on the GTI were terrible for attracting brake dust. It stuck to the Matt finish really badly.
A darkish grey satin finish is probably going to be the most sympathetic shade. However it's never going to look that nice when clean though. It'll always just be a middle of the road colour, never looking great but rarely looking terrible.
From the press shots of the 18's on the ClubSport they could well be a Motorsport grey type shade(?)